To:             City Manager

    From:         Deputy to the City Manager

    Date:         September 21, 1995

    Subject:    Youth and Family Issues in Monterey

You have asked that I assemble my thoughts about the possible need for additional programming to address "youth and family" issues that many believe have begun to appear in the community. This material is intended to present several of the considerations that have surfaced in recent discussions on the topic, and to suggest a process to define community needs and possible solutions for any problems that may exist.

I. BACKGROUND

Issues surrounding "youth and family" matters have become a widely-discussed topic throughout the nation. Many communities have seen a surge in youth-related crime, as well as other signs that young people are not receiving needed guidance, programs, and attention. Discussion continues as to whether the contributing causes of these "problems" are the school systems, the physical and social environments fostered by government, changing family dynamics, or some combination of these factors.

While the Monterey community is not currently seeing the nature and degree of "urban" problems striking many other areas, many agree that the "early indicators" (such as theft, vandalism, and arsons in the schools; and youth-related problems on Alvarado Street) of more difficult and far-reaching problems do indeed exist in our community. At least in Monterey, these perceptions of a "problem" can not yet be reliably validated by quantitative data.

Certainly, to the degree that a problem does exist (or is on the way), it is far easier to deal with it early, and in a systemic way, than it is to wait until the matter is out of control.

These thoughts have begun to stimulate considerable discussion regarding the scope and nature of the problem, and the possibility of some form of intervention by the City of Monterey and/or the Monterey Peninsula Unified School District. Both the City and MPUSD have expressed a willingness to jointly explore the topic, and have agreed to form a Task Force led by Councilmembers Potter and Vreeland, and MPUSD Board Members Rosenthal and Brown.

II. WHAT IS THE TARGET WE WANT TO SHOOT AT?

If 20 citizens were asked what is meant by "youth and family problems," it is likely we would receive 25 responses. The issue is difficult to define with precision, let alone quantify. Given the scarce resources to conduct the current range of local government and public education activities, and the likely hefty cost to meaningfully deal with any kind of substantive problem that may in fact exist, it seems appropriate to spend some time figuring out exactly what the problem is. Defining the precise nature and scope of the issues is essential to determine whether the problem is actually solvable by government and/or the schools. It is even more vital to the design of efficient and effective solutions.

Clearly some objective assessment is called for before we can safely jump in with solutions. Questions to be asked include: What is the problem? Who is affected by it? How big is it? What causes it? Can it be fixed by some form of intervention? Who can best fix it? What are the best solutions? What do the solutions cost? Who will provide the resources? Should resources from other programs be re-prioritized to meet these emerging needs? Who will be responsible for managing the solutions? How can success be measured?

In all of this, a precise definition of the proper role of local government and the schools is of obvious importance. Even at this juncture, it is clear that these issues are not the exclusive province of the City or the schools. While we can act as facilitators in the effort, and may indeed become involved in some form of service delivery, effective solutions will require substantial participation from many sectors of the community.

This assessment need not be lengthy or expensive, but it should be designed and pursued in earnest, and should embrace all of the principal stakeholders and constituencies involved in whatever problems and solutions may be identified.

I would suggest that the City resist the temptation to pursue an interim or quick "fix" to these issues until we have a better statement of what the problem really is. To do so might involve considerable expense and marginal, if any, return. At the same time, a failed or poorly performing near-term program could make it very difficult to pursue meaningful solutions later on.

We should also guard against "analysis paralysis," and pursue our problem identification phase with vigor. The process suggested in this memo is intended to cover the needed bases without bogging us down in research and bureaucracy. It could be completed in a matter of a few months, but would hopefully provide us the assurance that whatever investment we ultimately choose to make will be a wise one.

 

III. A SUGGESTED PROCESS FOR ACTION

A. Establish Task Force Study Group

The City Council and MPUSD Board Members who have volunteered for the Task Force will require staff support from each organization. I would suggest that the City provide direct staff support to the Task Force, and also form a "staff resource team" that can work with the Task Force on an as-needed basis. This resource team would consist of members from the Recreation and Community Services Department (possibly the Center Director assigned to the Youth Center and a management employee), the Police Department (possibly the School Resource Officer and a command level employee), Public Works Department (Parks Superintendent), and the Library. Other departments and staff would be brought in to the resource team as necessary.

You have asked that I provide the principal staff support to the joint Task Force. I would be happy to provide the coordination for our staff resource team as well.

In addition to our City staff support, I suggest that the Task Force be augmented with representatives from MPUSD (teachers and administrators), private schools in the City, youth (possibly students from Monterey High School, Cypress Continuation High School, and a student that has recently dropped out of school), parents, youth/family service non-profits, the City's Parks and Recreation Commission, the Probation Department, business, and the broader community at-large.

Because the suggested purpose of this effort is to identify needs and solutions pertaining to "at-risk" (again, something that is not easily defined!) youth, it would be appropriate to somehow embrace this target population in the process. Whether it is possible to do this at the task force level is something requiring further discussion.

B. Identify the Need

As mentioned earlier the first responsibility of the Task Force is to define, both in qualitative and quantitative terms, whatever need that exists. It is suggested that a combination of empirical and "informal" tools be put to work to accomplish this.

It is timely that the Mayor has suggested that the City begin a series of Town Hall meetings so that the City Council and staff can gain a deeper appreciation of the community's sentiment on a number of issues. It is suggested that this program begin very soon with an "open microphone" meeting to assemble an initial snapshot of the community's views on these youth and family issues.

It is further recommended that the Town Hall meeting be followed with a reader response card to be distributed in the November issue of the City Focus newsletter, or as a separate mailing. The response card has been an effective citizen involvement tool in Monterey in the past, and could generate substantial information that may help define the problem and possible solutions. While the Town Hall meetings and response cards do not necessarily generate "scientifically accurate" conclusions, they are recommended as public involvement tools that will help enhance community awareness and promote buy-in to the eventual solutions.

To objectively assess the issues, it is suggested that the City and MPUSD commission a formal survey of students, educators, parents, youth service organizations, and the broader community to assess the issues. This need not be expensive, and can yield objective results measuring the nature and magnitude of the problem.

Lastly, it is likely that the Task Force will want to engage in a series of ad hoc discussions and interviews with youth, parents, service providers, etc. to better define and understand the various issues and considerations that will surface during the process.

These various approaches to information gathering should yield a substantial amount of information that can then be integrated and distilled by the Task Force into a set of issues, considerations, and opportunities. As an important by-product, it will also help us develop a comprehensive menu of programs and services currently available to our youth and families.

C. Frame and Test Possible Solutions

After some definition of the problem is established, it will be possible to define a desired outcome and begin considering a menu of possible solutions. This dialogue will likely bring up a variety of substantive (what are the most effective solutions), policy, and resource issues.

It will be important not to allow our policy and resourcing dialogue to overshadow meaningful research and discussion about which solutions are the "right" ones for our community. For example, we may wish to further test possible solutions in a focus group setting, or via some form of pilot project. In any case, we will want to ensure that we are resourcing solutions that will generate an appropriate return on our investment.

D. Design and Resource an Implementation Program

After appropriate solutions are defined, it would be time to develop an implementation strategy, and assign programmatic and resource responsibilities. The possible approaches will obviously vary widely, being entirely driven by the earlier components of the process.

E. A Special Note

Just as with many other issues in our area, concerns regarding these youth and family issues do not know political boundaries, and do not stop at our City limits. Indeed, MPUSD has responsibilities going well beyond the corporate limits of Monterey, and the District has expressed concerns regarding the equity of delivering different levels of service within the District. The problem is compounded in that many Monterey youths attend school outside the City, and many non-residents go to schools within the City.

One approach to this problem is to immediately involve representatives from neighboring communities in the Task Force, and to work with nearby municipalities to design and implement regional solutions as seamlessly as possible. Another avenue is to establish Monterey as the initial focus for the effort, but to view our efforts as prototypical of a regional solution that can be worked toward over time.

While the first approach is more inclusive at the onset, it has the potential of bogging down, simply because of its size and magnitude. The second approach is more manageable initially, but has the potential for not appropriately addressing the needs of the broader community such that a regional solution can not be implemented later.

Staff recommends that the second alternative be pursued, but to do this with an eye toward the expansion of whatever solutions or programs that are developed by and to our neighboring communities.

 

IV. CONCLUSIONS

Given the growing concerns about "youth and family" matters in Monterey and other communities, it seems appropriate to invest in an organized effort to better understand the issues, and establish some form of strategy to guide whatever intervention we eventually choose to make. It is hoped that this suggested process will accomplish our goals in quick fashion, and provide meaningful information to help us deal with the matter.